Removable bulldozer attachment bracket



April 11, 1944. c, FORTE 2,346,567

REMOVABLE BULLDOZER ATTACHMENT BRACKET Filed Nov. 21, 1942 86 I 72 1 72 7 v 47 7? j 47 4 .n 47 m I:

7a 75 mm mm W 76 l 1 L5 75' 3/ 3/ 44b 75 45 44a 45 75 44c 76 75 44a 45 F/ 5 INVENTOR CARL D. Fom

' ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 11, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE BULLDOZER ATTACHMENT BRACKET Carl D. Forte, San Diego, Califr Application November 21, 1942, Serial No. 466,425 4 Claims. o1.2s2 -s) My invention relates to removable bulldozer attachment brackets, particularly those employing rooters, and its objects are to render the operation of the rooter more effective; to permit the bracket readily to be demounted and reinstalled in various predetermined positions on the bulldozer; and to obtain a better anchorage of parts and the prevention of displacement of the bracket under the conditions of the uses to which it may be applied. More especially my invention is an improvement upon the removable bulldozer attachment shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,297,677, granted to me on the sixth day of October, 1942. These and other various important objects and advantages will become apparent as shown in the drawing and as here inafter set forth and described.

Attention is hereby directed to the drawing, illustrating one preferred form of my invention, in which similar numerals of designation refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the main structure of a bulldozer, showing a demountab-le attachment aflixed thereto by my improved removable bracket;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged View in perspective of my improved bracket, showing the same separated from the other parts of the structure;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawing, the parts shown in Figure 1, with the exception of the bracket here- I" inafter described, are similar to those shown and described in my Letters Patent No. 2,297,677 above referred to; the bulldozer I3 illustrated in said drawing being of the usual construction, and being provided with the customary side arms I8 and braces I9 for securing the same to the front of a tractor, the moldboard I4 having the extension 20 which is reinforced by braces 2I welded to the bottom of said moldboard, and the bulldozer being provided with the attachment 22. Also as shown in my prior patent, as engaging with said extension 20, and straddling the braces 2I, are the heavy metallic fingers 33 integral with the arms 32 extending from the saddle 3D;

and integral with the saddle 39, or firmly atis the rectangularly shaped similar to those designed for the same purpose and shown inmy said patent,'but are simplified in construction and made more sturdy than in my prior construction. While only three of these knckles are'show'n, more can be provided if desired, and the series extended longitudinally to the'extent found advisable. I a

For the purpose of providing a simpler and better means of securing the lower part of the attachment 22 to the plate 3I, I have designed and constructed the removable bracket 12, shown most clearly in perspective in Fig. 2 of the drawing; the said bracket having the L shaped part I3, the laterally extending wing 74, and the trunnions I5 and I6. While one bracket only may be used for this purpose, I prefer to employ a pair of such brackets as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 where the attachment is in the intermediate position-shown, which is the normal position; but

if for any reason it is found necessary or de- "sirable to move the attachment to the right or left position hereinafter described, only one of the brackets can be utilized, as will hereinafter be made more clean Preferablythe bracket I 2 is of sturdy construction and made of one piece of material, and may be in the form of a casting. As in my prior device, the attachment 22 is provided with a similar rocking engagement with the plate 3|, having integral therewith th trunnions 45 which engage with the rod or shaft 41 journalled within the knuckle shaped bearings 44a, 44b and Me. As will be observed in the drawing where a pair of brackets I2 is used, on each side of said attachment and in close contact therewith is positioned one of said brackets, the trunnions I5 and I6 thereof also engaging with the said shaft 41, and permitting the bracket to rock with said attachment. For the purpose of tightly securing each of said brackets to said attachment 22, the upper arm 71 of the bracket 12 is provided with the opening I8, which registers with the opening I9 passing through an abutment 80 preferably integral with the attachment 22; a bolt 8| engaging with each of said openings and serving to connect all of these parts firmly together. Also to add further rigidity to said connection, I provide the lower arm 82 of each of the brackets I2 with the opening 83 which registers with the open ing 84 formed in lobes 85, downwardly depending from the attachment 22, a bolt 86 engaging with each of said openings and serving firmly to connect thes adjoining parts.

As will be seen from the drawing, the wing I4 of my improved bracket is of such proportions and being placed at such angle, that it effectively serves rigidly to brace in operative position the attachment 22, and at the same time the bracket 12 is of such construction and its connections are such that it may readily be removed and replaced with a minimum of effort. The shaft 41, and the adjacent knuckles and trunnions should be of suflicient thickness to withstand the great strain placed upon them. If desired the shaft- 41' may be extended at the ends so to allow the attachment 22" to be moved to positions on either side of the position shown,

that is, so as to permit the trunnions 45 to" straddle either of the knuckle shaped bearings- 4-4?) or 440, in which case, as is obvious, only one of my improved brackets 12 can be used. Thus, where it is desired to mount said attachment so that its trunnions 45 may straddle the bearing 44b, it will be necessary to move said attachment to the left of the position shown in Fig. 3 and at the same time-to dispense with the bracket 12 shown at the left, and to depend for anchorage solely-upon the bracket 12shown at the right, the trunnions thereof thereupon engaging with the bearing 44a. Similarly, where it is desired to mount said attachment upon bearing No, it will be moved together with the bracket shown at the left to such position, and the bracket shown at the right dispensed with.

For securing the shank of the rooter 26' to the attachment 22, I preferably employ the pin 41, which engages with recesses in the wall of the said attachment and registering groove in said shank as shown in my prior construction.

Inthe claims whereI refer to the moldboard of the bulldozer, I desire to be understood .as

including-any part or extension thereof or connection thereto.

My invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departin from the spirit or essential I characteristics thereof. The present embodiment, as hereinbefore set forth is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of my invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of th claims are therefore intended to be included therein.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

1. In apparatus for removably securing an attachment to the moldboard of a bulldozer, the combination of a moldboard and an attachment member, and means for pivotally securing the lower end of said member to the lower end of the moldboard, said means consisting of a bearing mounted upon the lower part of said moldboard, a bracket secured to said attachment, said bracket having an upright portion and a wing extending laterally therefrom, and each said upright portion and wing having a trunnion extending therefrom, and a shaft journalled in said bearing and engaging with said trunnions.

2. In apparatus for removably securing an attachment to the moldboard of a bulldozer, the combination of a moldboard and attachment member, and means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said member to the lower end of said moldboard, said means consisting of a plurality of knuckle shaped bearings connected with the lower part of said moldboard, a one piece bracket removably secured to said attachment, said bracket having a main upright extending body portion and a wing extending laterally therefrom, each said portion and wing having a trunnion downwardly depending therefrom, and a shaft journalled in said bearings and engaging with said trunnions.

3. A removable bulldozer attachment bracket, having an L shaped part normally disposed in upright position, a wing extending at an angle therefrom, each L shaped part and wing having an extension terminating in a trunnion depending downwardly therefrom.

4. A removable bulldozer attachment bracket, consisting of a one piece casting having an L shaped part normally disposed in upright position and having openings therein for securing the same to the attachment, a wing extending laterally therefrom, each L shaped part and wing having a trunnion downwardly depending therefrom.

CARL D. FORTE. 

